‘A dream come true’ for Sevillano Jr.

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This article was published 20/01/2025 (453 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Sean Sevillano Jr. couldn’t have asked for more from his freshman year of college.

If the football gods will grant one more wish, though, a win on Monday night would be his final request.

The Winnipeg-born defensive tackle will live out every young Canadian football player’s dream when he suits up for the University of Notre Dame in the College Football National Championship against Ohio State at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga. (6:30 p.m. CT).

“If I could sum it up shortly, I would say, crazy. But to be honest, I don’t know if I could sum it up if I had unlimited words to sum it up. It’s truly a dream come true, especially in my first year, it’s unbelievable,” Sevillano Jr. told the Free Press recently.

“I’m truly blessed to be on this team, to have the teammates that I do and the coaches— something pretty special and unique that not many people get to experience in their lifetime, and I’m extremely grateful that I do get to experience it.”

The championship contest is typically one of the most watched live sporting events in the U.S. each year, attracting more than 25 million viewers in 2024.

The 6-1 320-pound Sevillano Jr., wearing No. 59, doesn’t know how much he’ll see the field but will be right in the thick of the action if he does, plugging holes in the run game and absorbing double teams.

The No. 5 ranked Fighting Irish, led by third-year head coach Marcus Freeman, pieced together a season that few pundits thought was possible at the beginning of the year, going 11-1 during the regular season before knocking off No. 10 Indiana, No. 2 Georgia and No. 6 Penn State in the college football playoffs.

Their toughest test awaits in the No. 8 Buckeyes, a team that many predicted would be in this position and ultimately win it all. Notre Dame, an 8.5-point underdog, is seeking its first national championship since 1988.

“Personally, I just want to be able to help the team, be the best player I can for the team.”– Sean Sevillano Jr.

“It’s certainly something that you don’t at the start of the year say we’re going to go do this. Obviously, as a competitor, all I ever want to do is win and eventually get to this spot, but to be truthful, something that coach says all the time is the future is unknown, and you just kind of got to just live life knowing that you don’t know what’s coming next, and give your all in the moment. That’s what we’ve done all year, and we’ve found ourselves here,” Sevillano Jr. said.

The freshman has enjoyed the ride this season, filling in when he can throughout one of the program’s best runs in recent memory. He saw playing time in three regular season contests, tallying four tackles, and played one snap in the Orange Bowl (semifinal) against Penn State on Jan. 10.

“I want to win as many games as possible with this team, and along the way, we’ve had a successful year. Personally, I just want to be able to help the team, be the best player I can for the team. Everybody loves getting on the field, no matter what it is, and as a freshman at Notre Dame, I’ve been able to play in a few games, make a few plays, and that was a goal that I had for myself to start the year,” he said.

“I’m happy to say I’ve been able to accomplish that and help my team be successful.”

Sevillano Jr. arrived on the South Bend, Ind., campus last summer as a three-star recruit after playing three years at Clearwater Academy International, a private school in Clearwater, Fla., where he filled the stat sheet with 208 tackles, 120 for loss, 38 sacks and forced 10 fumbles.

He was a sought-after recruit, fielding more than two dozen offers from some of the top programs in NCAA Division I, including Ohio State, Miami, Kansas and Auburn, but chose Notre Dame for its academics, successful football program and standing as a private Catholic institution.

Sevillano Jr. carries his Winnipeg ties proudly, though. Raised in West St. Paul, he grew up playing baseball and basketball through his middle school years until another parent suggested he try football.

“I never forget where I came from,” he said. “Especially coming from Winnipeg and going back and seeing the kids and the Recruit Ready program who brought me up when I was younger and seeing the kids who are on the same path that I was, it means a lot to me.”– Sean Sevillano Jr.

Despite being the biggest kid, he didn’t like the sport until he rushed for three touchdowns in his first game.

Sevillano Jr. said it means a little more to be playing in a national championship as a Manitoba-bred player.

“I never forget where I came from,” he said. “Especially coming from Winnipeg and going back and seeing the kids and the Recruit Ready program who brought me up when I was younger and seeing the kids who are on the same path that I was, it means a lot to me.

“Being able to represent them on a stage like Notre Dame, being able to have the opportunity to play on this team and get to be in the national championship and be in the playoffs and stuff like that is special, and I hope that me being able to have these opportunities will help kids in Winnipeg realize that they have the same chance too, as long as they work hard … and take care of their academics and stuff like that.”

joshua.frey-sam@freepress.mb.ca